Renu Suresh
Expert
Published on: Sep 17, 2026
Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana
The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment of the Government of India launched the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana in 2017 to support senior citizens with age-related disabilities. Under this scheme, senior citizens from the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category receive physical aids and assisted-living devices to improve their quality of life. In this article, we provide an in-depth overview of the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana.
Objectives of Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana
According to the 2011 census, India has a senior citizen population of 10.38 crore, with over 70% residing in rural areas. Approximately 52% of these individuals suffer from age-related disabilities. This Central scheme aims to provide these senior citizens with essential assisted-living devices and physical aids to facilitate their daily living.
Duration
The proposal for the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana was announced in the 2015-2016 financial year budget, specifying that the scheme would span three years from 2017 to 2020. The scheme's implementation is managed by agencies such as the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO) and PSUs under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Department.
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Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana benefits, the following eligibility criteria must be met:
- Senior citizens must be aged 60 years or older.
- Applicants must be BPL cardholders.
Disability or Infirmity
Senior citizens with the following disabilities or infirmities are eligible to receive assisted-living devices that help restore normal bodily functions:
- Low vision
- Hearing impairment
- Loss of teeth
- Locomotor disability
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Aids and Assisted-Living Devices
Eligible beneficiaries under the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana receive various aids and assisted-living devices tailored to their specific needs, including:
- Walking sticks
- Elbow crutches
- Walkers / Crutches
- Tripods / Quad pods
- Hearing aids
- Artificial dentures
- Spectacles
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Beneficiary Selection
Beneficiaries are identified in each district by State Governments or Union Territories through a Committee chaired by the Deputy Commissioner or District Collector. The selection ensures that 30% of the beneficiaries in each district are women.
State Government, UT Administration, or District Level Committees collect data on BPL beneficiaries receiving Old Age Pension under the NSAP or other schemes.
Distribution of Devices
Assisted-living devices and aids are distributed for free to eligible senior citizens through camp mode. In cases of multiple disabilities, customized assistive devices will be provided for each disability.
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Districts Covered under Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana
The Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana covers numerous states and UTs across India. Below is a list of select districts implementing the scheme:
| S. NO. | State / UT | DISTRICT |
| 1. | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | South Andaman, Middle & North Andaman |
| 2. | Andhra Pradesh | Visakhapatnam |
| Nellore | ||
| 3. | Arunachal Pradesh | West Kameng |
| Pasighat | ||
| 4. | Assam | Kamrup |
| Sonitpur | ||
| 5. | Bihar | Buxar |
| West Champaran | ||
| 6. | Chandigarh | Chandigarh |
| 7. | Chhattisgarh | Raipur |
| Bastar | ||
| 8. | Dadra and Nagar Haveli | Dadra and Nagar Haveli |
| 9. | Daman and Diu | Daman and Diu |
| 10. | Goa | North Goa |
| South Goa | ||
| 11. | Gujarat | Vadodara |
| Ahmedabad | ||
| 12. | Haryana | Karnal |
| Ambala | ||
| 13. | Himachal Pradesh | Shimla |
| Hamirpur | ||
| 14. | Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar |
| Udhampur | ||
| 15. | Jharkhand | Gumla |
| Ranchi | ||
| 16. | Karnataka | South Bangalore |
| Dharwad | ||
| 17. | Kerala | Kochi |
| Thiruvananthapuram | ||
| 18. | Madhya Pradesh | Khandwa |
| Ujjain | ||
| 19. | Maharashtra | Nagpur |
| Dhule | ||
| 20. | Delhi | Karol Bagh |
| Chandni Chowk | ||
| 21. | Odisha | Sundargarh |
| Angul | ||
| 22. | Punjab | Gurdaspur |
| Hoshiarpur | ||
| 23. | Rajasthan | Jhalawar |
| Bikaner | ||
| 24. | Tamil Nadu | Kanyakumari |
| South Chennai | ||
| 25. | Telangana | Hyderabad |
| Karimnagar | ||
| 26. | Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow |
| Varanasi | ||
| 27. | Uttarakhand | Haridwar |
| Almora | ||
| 28. | West Bengal | Asansol |
| Darjeeling | ||
| 29. | Manipur | Imphal (West), Imphal (East) |
| 30. | Meghalaya | East Jaintia Hills, Ri Bhoi |
| 31. | Mizoram | Aizawl, Champhai |
| 32. | Nagaland | Dimapur, Kohima |
| 33. | Tripura | Unokoti, Dhalai |
| 34. | Lakshadweep | Lakshadweep |
| 35. | Puducherry | Olukara, Karaikal |
| 36. | Sikkim | East Sikkim, South Sikkim |
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